Determinants of Urban Poverty: The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

Urban poverty, which is distinct from rural poverty due to demographic, economic and political aspects remain hitherto unexplored, at the city level in Pakistan. We have examined the determinants of urban poverty in Sargodha, a medium-size city of Pakistan. The analysis is based on the survey of 330 households. Results suggest that employment in public sector, investment in human capital and access to public amenities reduce poverty while employment in informal sector, greater household size and female dominated households increase poverty. We recommend greater investment in human capital and public amenities as a strategy for poverty alleviation.Urban Poverty, Pakistan

Determinants of Urban Poverty : The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

Urban poverty, which is distinct from rural poverty due to demographic, economic and political aspects remain hitherto unexplored, at the city level in Pakistan. We have examined the determinants of urban poverty in Sargodha, a medium-size city of Pakistan. The analysis is based on the survey of 330 households. Results suggest that employment in public sector, investment in human capital and access to public amenities reduce poverty while employment in informal sector, greater household size and female dominated households increase poverty. We recommend greater investment in human capital and public amenities as a strategy for poverty alleviation.Urban Poverty, Pakistan

Impact of education on poverty reduction

Poverty is a stumbling block in the way of achieving economic development. Cognizant of the essence of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ‘Education for All’ program, education is promulgated as the primary weapon against poverty prevalence. Hence it is important to seek out the effect of different levels of education upon poverty in Pakistan. This study evaluates the effect of different levels of education, experience and gender of the employed individuals (employers, self-employed, wage earners and unpaid family workers) as the determinants of poverty. The data for this task comes from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) for the years 1998-99 and 2001-02. A logistic regression model is estimated based on this data, with the probability of an individual being poor as the dependent variable and a set of educational levels, experience and gender as explanatory variables. It is found that experience and educational achievement is negatively related with the poverty incidence in both years. Also as we go for the higher levels of education the chances of a person being non-poor increases. Moreover, being a male person provides an advantage in retaining a position above poverty level.Poverty, Education, Pakistan

The impact of human capital on urban poverty: The case of Sargodha city

The positive relationship between human capital and income/wages has been supported by empirical research. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) enormously emphasize on human capital for curbing poverty. The economic development in East Asian countries is also linked with investment in education for the development of human capital. This study is designed to investigate the relationship of different levels of education and experience upon urban poverty at medium sized city in Pakistan such as Sargodha. A survey-based analysis was carried out on a sample of 330 households. Poverty status of the individual is defined by using adjusted official poverty line. Results show that education and experience is negatively related with the poverty status of individuals and this fact sustains even in separate gender estimates as well. This implies education of poor is necessary in breaking the vicious circle of poverty. Combined effort by public, private, community participation and NGO’s with special focus on elementary (Primary and middle) education is suggested for reducing poverty by increasing the productivity of the poor through education.Human Capital, Urban Poverty, Sargodha, Pakistan

Measurement of SF-6D utility among patients with active tuberculosis

Inspite of so much development in medical technology, Tuberculosis (TB) is still the problem for humans. Few studies, in Pakistan highlighted the factors that affect patients health related quality of life (HRQOL) with active TB. The aim of this study is to measure short form six dimension (Sf-6D) utility scores of patients with active TB of Sargodha district. 120 active TB patients were interviewed and short form-36 questionnaire was followed. District TB hospital of Sargodha district was visited. Results show that Utility scores of female patients were better than male, while patients belong to urban areas have better utility scores as compared to rural patients of TB. Indoor patient’s utility scores were better than outdoor patients. Disease severity, use of drugs, depression, pain and death threat were the factors that negatively affect the patients health related quality of life, while opportunity of leisure and income level increase patients HRQOL.Sf-6D, Pakistan, TB

Multidimensional Inequality and Well-being in Pakistan: Evidence from Household Level Data

The present study investigated changes in multidimensional inequality in Pakistan. The study used Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement (PSLM) Survey datasets for three years 2001-02, 2007-08 and 2013-14. Three welfare distributions such as household per capita expenditures, access to education and health status are used in the study. The study employed Gini index, generalized entropy and stochastic dominance when inequality is measured for each dimension separately. The inequality is the highest in terms of education access. The stochastic dominance criteria demonstrate different orders for three attributes. The composite index is useful but social evolution function is not easy to construct as different formulations are considered. The pair wise technique has very useful policy implication when different attributes of welfare are distributed. The recommendations are made as specific regions or states should be focused where inequality is high. Moreover, efforts should also be made to narrow the skewed distribution of education

Determinants of Urban Poverty: The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

The process of urbanisation has dual impact on the development process of an economy. Initially, it encourages the workers to switch from low productive sector i.e. agriculture to high productive sectors like services and manufacturing [Becker, et al. (1994)]. Subsequently, it generates formidable problems for residents by depriving them of access to essential basic needs [Egziabher (2000)]. It is also observed that the poor try to urbanise faster as compared to the whole population [Ravallion (2007)] and this urbanisation process leads toward the emergence of urban poverty. Urban poverty is distinct from the rural poverty with respect to its incidence, economic, demographic and political aspects. The urban poverty can be controlled by developing the clear understanding of its nature, magnitude and intensit

Spatial and Gender Based Comparison of Multidimensional Poverty: Household Level Analysis from Pakistan

The present study examines the multidimensional poverty in Pakistan by using three waves of (PSLM) survey data 2001-02, 2007-08 and 2013-14. Ten indicators such as enrolment, school attendance, immunization, prenatal care, electricity connection, gas, water, sanitation, crowding and assets are used for the measurement of multidimensional poverty. Alkire Foster and binary logistic techniques are employed for the measurement of multidimensional of poverty. Multidimensional poverty is measured at national and provincial, gender and regional level. The incidence of multidimensional poverty in Pakistan is high in rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Punjab province has the lowest while Balochistan province has the highest incidence of multidimensional poverty

Spatial and Gender Based Comparison of Multidimensional Poverty: Household Level Analysis from Pakistan

The present study examines the multidimensional poverty in Pakistan by using three waves of (PSLM) survey data 2001-02, 2007-08 and 2013-14. Ten indicators such as enrolment, school attendance, immunization, prenatal care, electricity connection, gas, water, sanitation, crowding and assets are used for the measurement of multidimensional poverty. Alkire Foster and binary logistic techniques are employed for the measurement of multidimensional of poverty. Multidimensional poverty is measured at national and provincial, gender and regional level. The incidence of multidimensional poverty in Pakistan is high in rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Punjab province has the lowest while Balochistan province has the highest incidence of multidimensional poverty

Role of Institutional Credit on Agricultural Production: A Time Series Analysis of Pakistan

In our predominant and cash-strapped agrarian sector, adequate credit provision is a definite buttress to implant technological advancements, achieve technical efficiency and hire efficient inputs to uplift agriculture output/income collectively and eradicate poverty eventually. In the midst of beleaguered informal credit sector and recent spurt in banking services in last decade diverted the attention to envisage the formal sector’s optimum potential. In this backdrop, this study is going to explore the role of institutional credit in agricultural production using the time series data for the period of 1972 to 2008. Cobb-Douglas production function is estimated using OLS and all the variables are transformed to per cultivated hectare. Results show that agricultural credit, availability of water, cropping intensity and agricultural labor force are positively significantly related to agricultural production.Agricultural Credit, Time series analysis, Pakistan